The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Prairie View A&M
Win streak reaches 21 games for No. 2 Baseball
05.04.2010 | Baseball
May 4, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 2 Texas Longhorns had three pitchers combine for the team's eighth shutout of the season and extend their win streak to 21 games Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field with a 6-0 triumph over the Prairie View A&M Panthers.
Starting pitcher Sam Stafford and relief pitchers Kendal Carrillo and Hoby Milner combined to pitch nine scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out 11.
Five of the Longhorns' six runs came on home runs by Russell Moldenhauer and Kevin Lusson. Moldenhauer's three-run shot in the sixth broke open a one-run game and Lusson's two-run home run in the eighth helped Texas improve to 39-7 overall while dropping Prairie View A&M to 12-30 on the season.
In the top half of the third, the Panthers threatened to take the first lead of the game after a one out single by Evan Richard, followed by consecutive walks to load the bases with one out. However, Stafford got a flyout to left and a strikeout to escape the jam and keep the game scoreless.
Texas got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third after Connor Rowe led off the inning with a single to center. A sacrifice bunt by Etier moved Rowe to second, and a walk to Cohl Walla put runners on first and second with one out. After a strikeout to Brandon Loy, Shepherd extended his career-long hit streak to 15 games with an RBI single to right, scoring Rowe. Blackburn cut off the throw to home and threw out Walla trying to advance to third, ending the inning with Texas on top, 1-0.
The Panthers threatened to tie the game in the top of the fifth after a leadoff single by Salvador Hernandez followed by a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. However, Carrillo entered the game in relief and got a strikeout and groundout to end the inning and keep it a one-run game.
In the bottom of the sixth, one-out walks to Shepherd and Cameron Rupp gave the Horns two on with one out. Moldenhauer then sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall. His fifth home run of the season extended the Horns lead to 4-0.'
Texas' second home run came in the bottom of the eighth after Kevin Lusson sent a two-run shot to right field, scoring pinch runner Kyle Lusson who replaced Kevin Keyes after his two-out single to right field. Kevin Lusson's ninth home run of the season tied him for the team lead while extending the lead to 6-0.
Milner recorded two strikeouts in a perfect ninth, while Carrillo improved to 3-0 after pitching 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Stafford pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, matching his season-high in innings pitched, while allowing two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
Walla led the Texas' offense with two hits, going 2-3 with a walk, while Keyes and Rowe recorded the other hits for Texas.
Prairie View A&M starting pitcher Benjamin Blackburn (3-8) went all 8.0 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out seven. Richard went 2-2 while Hernandez recorded the other hit for the Panther offense.
Texas returns to conference action Friday when the Longhorns travel to play a three-game series against the Kansas State Wildcats, who currently sits in second place behind Texas in the Big 12 Conference. One win in the series will wrap up the league title for the Longhorns who own a seven-game lead over Wildcats in the league ledger with three weeks of play remaining.
